Improvement in accordions



F. ZOGBAUM. ACCORDEONI No; 192,478. Patented June 26,1817.

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UNITED Srnrns Fa rnn'r CFFIGE.

FERDINAND ZOGBAUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ACCORDIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,478, dated June 26, 1877 application filed J une 5, 11177.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND ZOGBAUM, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Accordions, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to so improve the details in the construction of the instrument as to facilitate the removal of such parts as require repair without injury to the efficiency of the instrument; and to that end it consists in a removable reed-board, having the reeds readily detachable therefrom, as will 'be particularly pointed out. It further consists in a novel construction of the heads or finger-pieces attached to the key-levers.

The drawings represent, in Figure 1 an end elevation; Fig. 2, a transverse section; Fig. 3, alongitudinal elevation; Fig. 4, a plan view of the reedboard removed and in Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of the reed-board on line :12, Fig. 4, through the reeds.

Accordions, as now constructed, have their reed-boards firmly attached and forming a part of the body portion, A, of the instrument.

The top board B, which overlies the reedboard, is fastened to the instrument by screws, which necessitates its bodily removal in order to permit access to the reeds, which are fastened upon the lower surface of the reedboard. When the top board is thus made re movable it is required that an air-tight joint shall be provided between its under surface and the edges of the sides of the body portion; thus each time this top board is removed for the purpose of repairing and tuning a reed (which is a irequent occurrence) the packing-joint becomes impaired, so that in a short time, since an air-tight joint must be provided, the instrument becomes leaky and incapable of perfect use. Moreover, the present mode of attaching the reeds is to fasten them upon the face of the reed-board by glue or wax to form the air-tight joint, and tacks to hold them thereon. In change of temperature, transportation, and otherwise handling the instrument, these reeds become loose or detached, and thus require frequent repair.

In my improved instrument the body A has the top board B, supporting the bridge 0,

fastened to its sides in the usual manner, and in place of being divided, so that its upper portion is removable and required to be securely held in place by screws, is made solid, as in Fig. 2. It supports the bellows or windchest D in the same manner as does the common instrument.

The reed-board R is formed of a flat board, provided with ribs a, forming receptacles or cells for the reeds n and air-passages, as is common. This reed-board R is, however, made to slide in ways 2, formed in the present instance by cleats it fast to the sides of the body A, and thus made to fit snugly against the inner face of the reed-board. The ways for this reed-board to slide in might be grooves cut into the sides of the body A, or any other convenient structure might serve the purpose. A tightfitting joint may be provided by packing of any description-felt or chamois being desirable.

This reed-board, as illustrated, is made to slide endwise, and a portion of one end of the body A is made a part of it, and the same is held in its closed position by screws s. The said reed-board might, of course, slide sidewise.

In this construction, when for any purpose it is desired to inspect the reed-board, it may be readily withdrawn bodily without disrupting the main body of the instrument.

In order to cure the defects arising from gluing or waxing and tacking the reeds n to the reed-board, this board is supplied with ribs a, dividing it into graduated cellsfor holding the reeds n, which cells are of such depth as to permit the provision of grooves 0, in which the reeds slide to place, and yet provide room for the vibrations of the inner set of tongues m. The side rails S of these cells are held in place by the screws t, and they are or may be provided with corresponding grooves fitting over the edges of the reeds. By this construction each reed slides in the grooves formed to receive it, and while snugly bound on all sides may not be disturbed without removing the side rail S and sliding it out of its groove.

A stop which renders inoperative a portion or" the reeds is shown, but is an old device.

In the ordinary instrument a great defect now exists, known as sticking of the keys. This is due to the fact that the openings in the bridge through which they protrude are made large enough to permit the passage of the buttons K at the ends of the key-levers which form bearings for the fingers. This isre'medied in the present invention by pro body, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the reed-board R, grooved cells, sliding reeds n, and removable side railS, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FERDINAND ZOGBAUM.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. MUNSON, S. M. PooL. 

